Tuesday night I went to see American Sniper which is the final Best Picture nominee currently in theaters (see my reviews of The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash, Birdman, and Selma). This movie follows Chris Kyle from his enlistment after the bombing of American embassies in 1998, his training to be a Navy SEAL, his marriage to Taya (Sienna Miller), and his four tours of duty in Iraq. Kyle is the most lethal sniper in American history with 160 kills confirmed by the Department of Defense (some put the number much higher) saving countless lives in battle. The battle scenes in Iraq are unbelievably intense and are very disturbing to watch, especially his last firefight with armed insurgents (I felt like I was in the middle of the sandstorm with bullets firing all around me). In my opinion, the depiction of battle in this movie is one of the most realistic I've ever seen (including the liberal use of profanity which might bother some) and I am absolutely in awe of what members of the military willingly sacrifice for our freedom. I also liked the fact that this movie discusses the difficulties that servicemen face in transitioning back to life at home and the sacrifices made by their families. I have never been a big fan of Bradley Cooper but he is phenomenal as Kyle. The scene where Kyle is visibly overcome after a young boy puts down an RPG so that he doesn't have to shoot him is absolutely gut-wrenching as is the scene where Kyle calls his wife and tells her he is ready to come home. His performance is gripping and his Best Actor nomination is well-deserved! This movie is not easy to watch. In fact, I was quite upset when I walked out of the theater but it is incredibly powerful and I guarantee that you will be thinking about it for days.
Note: I found the absolute silence during the final credits to be chilling.
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